Mr Snowman tea cosy

Mr Snowman Tea Cosy by Alison Davis

What Is Being Made

The Mr Snowman Tea Cosy is a charming knitted tea cosy designed to fit a 6-cup teapot. This original design by Alison Davis combines functional drinkware protection with decorative snowman styling, making it an ideal handmade gift or home accessory for tea enthusiasts.

Craft and Techniques

This is a knitting project suitable for beginner level crafters. The design employs fundamental knitting techniques including increases, decreases, and colour work to create a three-dimensional snowman figure that sits atop the teapot. The pattern uses multiple needle sizes to achieve different fabric densities and textures throughout the cosy.

Key construction methods include stocking stitch for the main body, strategic increases and decreases to shape the snowman's head and body, and bind-off techniques for finishing edges. The pattern incorporates a decorative scarf and hat, each knitted with progressively smaller needles to create definition and visual interest.

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) – the fundamental stitch forming the base fabric
• Purl (P) – used in combination with knit stitches for texture variation
• Knit Front and Back (KFB) – an increase technique to add stitches and shape the cosy
• Knit Two Together (K2tog) – a decrease technique to reduce stitches and create shaping
• Purl Two Together (P2tog) – a decrease technique used in purl rows
• Stocking Stitch (SS) – the primary stitch pattern creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Bind and Tie (B&T) – a finishing technique where yarn is threaded through remaining stitches, pulled tight, and tied off, with a tail left for sewing seams together

Materials and Yarn

This pattern calls for double knitting (DK) weight yarn in multiple colours to create the snowman design. The pattern is compatible with DK yarns such as King Cole Cuddles and Hayfield Bonus DK, both of which work to the same tension specifications.

The pattern notes that when using snowflake-textured yarn, the purl side becomes the right side due to its fluffier texture, allowing crafters to incorporate special yarn effects into the finished design. The cosy is knitted using two strands of double knitting yarn held together, creating a thicker, warmer fabric suitable for insulating a teapot.

Needles Required

• 4.5mm needles – for knitting the main cosy body and snowman head
• 4mm needles – for the decorative scarf section
• 3mm needles – for the hat and nose details, creating finer, more defined features

Tension and Gauge

The pattern specifies a tension of 10 x 10cm square on 4mm needles. Both King Cole Cuddles and Hayfield Bonus DK achieve 28 rows x 20 stitches over a 10cm square, ensuring consistent sizing and fit across different yarn choices. Achieving correct tension is essential for the cosy to fit properly on a standard 6-cup teapot.